Spool tension for axminster tube frames



April 3, 1951 w, RQBB 2,547,491

SPOOL TENSION FOR AXMINSTER TUBE FRAMES Filed Sept. 16, 1947 FIG.2

s FIG.4

F 7/ l 4 a 'x I! I3 46 45 36 INVENTOR WALTER Y. P053 61w. 7 Haw-100 A T T O R N E Y Patented Apr. 3, 1951 SPOOL TENSION FOR AXMINSTER TUBE FRAMES Walter Y. Robb, Whitinsville, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application September 16, 1947, Serial No. 774,227

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in Axminster looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide improved means for controlling the rotation of yarn spools on the tube frames.

The tube frames of an Axminster loom are carried by endless conveyor chains from which they are removed one by one for movement to tuft forming position. When the tube frames are in the chain it is desirable that the yarn spools be prevented from rotating, but when the tube frame is detached from the chains the spool should be free to rotate for the tuft yarn pulling-olf operation which occurs immediately after tuft formation. The tube frames are disconnected from the chains by means of clutches carried by transfer arms which lower the tube frame for the rolling-in operation by which the tuft is formed and then return, the frame to the chain.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide each tube frame with a relatively strong brake or friction device normally operative to prevent rotation of the yarn spool when the tube frame is in the chain but so constructed as to be moved to non-braking position by at least one of the clutches when the tube frame is removed from the chains.

The brackets or ears by which the tube frames are supported on the chains include pressed metal parts one of which affords a bearing for the spool and the other of which is offset from the first part to cooperate with the transporting chain and a supporting hook pivoted on the bracket. It is a further object of the present invention to mount a brake lever on the bracket having a release arm lying close to the bracket and having a stop arm engaging that part of the bracket which cooperates with the chain, and having also a friction arm to engage the spool. A spring normally holding the friction arm against the head of the spool is mounted on the pivot for the lever and has one end extending along the bracket while the other end engages the brake or friction arm.

With these and other objects in view which 7 will appear asthe description proceeds, my in- Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but shows the clutch in releasing position with the brake arm moved to non-braking position,

Fig. 3 is a detailed end elevation looking in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 1, partly in cross section, and V Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 44, Fig. 3, the transfer clutch being omitted.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the tube frame T is made of a tubular metallic bar Ill preferably rectangular in cross section and having secured to the end thereof a bracket B comprising an inner member ll provided with a spool bearing [2 and an outer member I3 beyond the end of the yarn spool which is offset to form a tongue l4 lying between links l5 of one of the transporting chains. The lower ends of the members H and 13 extend inside the tube it) as at l6 and I1, respectively, and are secured to the bar or tube in any approvedmanner.

A hook supported pivotally at 2| on bracket member l3 has a head 22 normally held over one of the chain links l5 of the chain by a compression spring 23. The tongue l4 may serve as a stop for the hook head 22, and a horizontal I section 24 extends to the left from the vertical section 25 of bracket member I3 and lies under the chain link over which the hook head extends. The spool S has a sheet metal head 26 from which extends a gudgeon 21 fitting into the bearing H.

The Axminster loom is provided with tube frame releasing clutches at each end thereof, the one indicated in the drawings at 30 having an upright wal1'3l and a bottom lip 32 to pass under the tube frame. The clutch is operated by means not shown but well understood, and whenever a tube frame is to be detached from the transporting chain the clutch moves to the right from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2 to move the hook 2E! along a given path or through a range of motion toward the spool to disengaged position with respect to the transporting chain. At this time the lip 32 is under the tube frame to support it. The clutch then lowers the tube frame, and after the tuft forming operation the tube frame is raised a short distance with attendant turning of the spool to draw 01f yarn for the next row of tufts to be formed by the tube frame. The clutches then return the tube frame to the chains.

It is to be understood that the structure thus far described is duplicated at the opposite end of the tube frame and may be of the usual construction and operate in the usual manner.

"in carrying my present invention into eifeot I provide a yarn spool brake lever having an upwardly extending brake arm 36, a depending release arm 31, and a stop arm 38. A pivotal support has a hub part 4| fitting into the curved part of the bracket member I3 adjacent to the vertical and horizontal section's thereof; Support 40 is secured to member IS in any approved manner, as by welding or brazing. A pin 42 extends laterally from hub 4! and affords pivotal mounting for lever 35 in a position side by side with hook 20, see Fig. 4. A torsion spring 43 has coils 44 around pin 42 and has an upper end 45 engaging brake arm 36 and a lower end 46 extending along member is. ra ereve 35 is located and swings at one side of the path bf the hook 20, the right side as shown in Fig. 3.

The upper end of brake arm 33 is provided with a friction pad 41 made of any suitable ma terial, such as rubber. This pad is normally held the head at or the spnol by spring 43.

When in this position the stop arm 38 is spaced slightly below the 'sec'tinn 2 3 of bracket member i3, but when the spool is removed from the rate frame spring moves stop arm '38 up against section 2- to limit angular movement of the lever 35 by the spring so that the lever will not interfere with a new spoolbeing fitted to the tube frame. The lower part of release arm 31 has a surface 43 which normally eiitends to the left of the bracket B adjacent thereto for engagen'ient with clutch 3i].

In operation; the spring 43 holds the pad 41 against the spool head 25 whenever the tube name is in the chain; thereby preventing turning of the spool. When the cluteh 30 moves to the right to disengage the hook 29 it will enga e si'irface GB of release arm 3? and rock lever 35 in a ceunter'clockwise direction side by side with the hook, turning the level from the normal spool braking position shown in Fig. lto the spool re leasing positidh shown in Fig. 2. The efiect of this rocking is to move the pad ll away from the head 23, thereby permitting the spool to turn readily during the pulling-off operation which immediately follows tuft formation. 7 When the clutch returns the tube frame to the transportin chain and nibv's" way from the bracket, spring '43 returns the brake lever 35 to braking position relatively to the spool.

In order that the spool S may be restrained from free rotation incident to the pulling-off operation I provide clutch 30 with a light spring brake element designated generally at 50. This brake has a plunger 5| slidable in a hub 52 en offset arm 53 of the clutch. The right end of the plunger as viewed in Fig. 2 is urged against the spool head 25 by a spring 54. The light braking element 58 may be located at that side of the ciutch opposite the part thereof which engages the surface 43 of release arm 37, as shown in Fig. 3. The braking element is also 'at the left of the path of hook 23 as viewed in Fig. 3.

F'rbm the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an Axminstei tube frame with a simple form of brake lever for the yarn spool effective nonnan tn revent rotation of the spec men the tube frame is in the transportingchains, but controlled in such manner as to release the spool for easy turning curing the tuft yarn pulling-ofif operation. It will be seen that the lever s5 1's ocated at one side or t e bracket is and use an and has a brake arin as engaging the head of the spool, a releasing arm 31 imposition to engage eliit'ch 3i and a stop arm; 38 which limits movement of the lever 35 under action of spring 43 and holds the lever in such a position that it will not interfere with a new spool being placed on the tube frame. Furthermore, the pivotai support for the lever 35 includes a hub which fits into the curved part of bracket membef 13 adjacent to the vertical and horizontal sections thereof and has a pin affording pivotal support for the lever and around which the coils of spring 43 are located. The light compression spring 54 on the clutch located on that side of the hook opposite the lever 35 serves to prevent rolling of thespoolwhen the tube frame is detached from the transporting chains and is operans/em perform this function with respect to an of the tube frames as they are released one by one from the chains. Because of the fact that the brakes 35 and 50 are located side by side with the hook 23, as shown in Fig. 4, the spool can be mounted close to the end of the tube frame, as iii the usual t'ube' frame, and the invention can be utilized in existing looms Without altering the spacing of the transporting chains.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventi'on and I do not wish to be limited to the details hereindisclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a yarn spool carrying tub'e frame for an Az zniihster loom having a transporting chain to support the tube frame and a clutch movable endwise 'of the tube frame, a bracket secured to the tube frame, a hook pivoted on the bracket normally engaging the chain to support the tube frame and moved by the clutch through a range of motion toward the spool to disengage the tube fi'a' ie frem the chain, a lever pivoted on the br'aonet and having a brake arm and a release arm located at one side of said range of motion, and resilient means normally holding the brake against the spam and TlOlmaHy holding the release arm in position for engagement with the clutch to enable the latter to rock the lever and more the" brake arm away from the spool at one side of said range of motion when disconnecting the tube frame from the transporting chain.

2. In a yarn spool carrying tube frame for an Axmins'ter loom having a transporting chain to support the tube frame and a clutch movable ehdwise of the tube frame to disengage the latter from the chain, a bracket secured to the tube frame and including a member having a section transverse of the tube frame beyond the end of the yarn spool and a second section extending laterally from the first section in a direction away from the yarn spool, a pivotal support inbii'ritedon said member on that side of said transverse" section opposite to the yarn spool, a chain engaging hook pivoted on the bracket, a brake lever mounted on said pivotal support for angular movement relatively thereto at one side of said ho'c'k, said lever having a brake arm and a release arm, and resilient means normally holdingthe brake arm against the spool and normally holding the release arm for engagement the clutch to enable the latter to rock the lever and move the bi'akearm away from the specwhen disconnecting the tube frame from the trai'isporting" chain.

3. In a yarn spoolcarrying tube frame for an Asnnnsrelloom having a transporting chain supporting the tube frame and a clutch intivable endvvise 6f the tube frame to disengage the latter from the chain, a bracket secured to the tube frame and including a member having ja section transverse of the tube frame beyond the end of the yarn spool and a second section extending laterally from the first section in a direction away from the yarn spool, a pivotal support secured to said member in engagement with said sections on that side of said transverse section opposite to the yarn spool, a chain engaging hook pivoted on the bracket, a brake lever mounted on said pivotal support for angular movement relatively thereto at one side of said hook and having a brake arm and a release arm,

and resilient means normally holding the brakes arm against the spool and having a coiled part surrounding the axis of said pivotal support, said resilient means acting normally to hold the release arm in position for engagement with the clutch toenable the latter to rock the lever and move the brake arm away from the spool when the clutch moves to disengage the tube frame from the transporting chain.

4. In an Axminster loom yarn spool carrying time frame to be released from a transporting chain by a clutch, a bracket on said tube frame comprising a section transverse of the tube frame and another section integral with the first section and extending away from the spool, supporting the yarn spool, a brake lever pivotally mounted with respect to the bracket and having a brake arm and a release arm for the clutch and a stop arm for engagement with said other section of the bracket, and resilient means normally holding the brake arm against the spool to resist rotation thereof and holding the release arm in position for engagement with the clutch and acting upon removal of the spool to move said stop arm against said other section of the bracket, said sto arm limiting movement of the brake arm in a direction toward the spool.

5. In a yarn spool carrying tube frame for an Axminster loom having a transporting chain and a clutch movable endwise of the tube frame, a supporting hook on the tube frame normally engaging the chain and moved by the clutch along a given path toward the yarn spool to detach the tubeframe from the chain, and a brake lever pivoted on the tube frame to swing in a path side by side with said given path of the hook and normally engaging the yarn spool to resist turning thereof but moved by the clutch out of engagement with the spool when the clutchmoves the hook.

6. In a yarn spool carrying tube frame for an Axminster loom having a transporting chain and a clutch movable endwise of the tube frame, a brackethsecured to and extending transversely of the tube frame, a hook pivoted to the bracket normally engaged with the chain but moved from the chain by the clutch along a path extending toward the spool, and a brake lever normally engaging the spool pivoted on the bracket for swinging movement relatively to the bracket side by side with said path of the hook, the clutch when moving the hook along said path also efiecting movement of the lever out of engagement with the spool.

7. In a yarn spool carrying tube frame for an Axminster loom having a transporting chain and a clutch movable endwise of the tube frame, a bracket secured to the tube frame and extending transversely thereof and providing a bearing support for the yarn spool, a hook pivoted on the bracket normally engaging the chain and moved out of engagement with the chain by the clutch along a given path toward the spool, and a brake lever pivoted on the bracket side by side with said path and normally engaging the spool but moved by the clutch out of engagement with the spool in a path side by side with the path of the hook.

8. In a yarn spool carrying tube frame for an Axminster loom having a transporting chain and a clutch movable endwise of the tube frame, a bracket secured to the tube frame and extending transversely thereof, a bearing member for the spool forming part of the bracket located on the side of the latter adjacent to the spool, a bracket section forming part of the bracket on that side of the bearing member opposite to the spool, a hook normally engaging the chain and pivoted on the bracket and movable by the clutch out of engagement with the chain along a path toward the bearing member, and a brake lever pivoted on the bracket section side by side with said path of the hook and normally engaging the spool and moved out of engagement with the spool by the clutch when the latter is moved by the clutch.

9. In a yarn spool carrying tube frame for an Axminster loom having a transporting chain and a clutch movable endwise of the tube frame, a bracket secured to the tube frame and extending transversely thereof and providing a bearing support for the yarn spool, a hook pivoted on the bracket normally engaging the chain and moved by the clutch along a given path toward the spool, and a brake lever pivoted on the bracket side by side with said path and normally engaging the spool but moved by the clutch out of engagement with the spool in a path side by side with the path of the hook when the clutch moves the hook.

10. In a yarn spool carrying tube frame for an Axminster loom having a transporting chain, a bracket on the tube frame extending laterally therefrom, a hook pivotally mounted on the bracket and normally engaging the chain to support the tube frame, said hook extending intermediate the sides of the bracket, a brake lever pivoted on the bracket to move angularly side by side with the hook and movable independently of said hook side by side with the latter and having a brake arm for the spool, and resilient means normally holding said brake arm against the spool.

WA TE Y. ROBIB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,696,163 Hathaway Dec. 18, 1928 1,911,365 Jeffs May 30, 1933 2,141,643 Dacey Dec. 27, 1938 

